Prince George, BC- Over 500 forest workers in the Prince George area have accessed the Assessing Planning Training (APT) pilot project, funded through a $2-million federal-provincial investment.

 

In February 2009, USW Local 1-424 signed a labour market agreement with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia to provide funding for skills training to employed forest workers or those ineligible for employment insurance, such as independent operators, youth and women.

 

 Through APT, forest workers can expand their skills, making them more adaptable to the changes that will take place in the industry as forest companies install new technology to improve efficacy and diversify operations to take advantage of new markets and product demand. Ensuring workers have the skills to meet changing marketplace demands will enhance the B.C. forest industry’s ability to expand into new areas of business and take advantage of the turnaround in the global economy. 

 

The operating area for APT follows the boundaries of the Omineca beetle action coalition, stretching from Smithers to Chetwynd and south to Hixon, including the Robson Valley. Participants in the program engage in everything from basic upgrading to more complex learning plans based on workers’ skills and goals.

 

“With over 4000 forest workers being laid off in the north as a result of a downturn in the industry, it’s not surprising the program has been so popular,” said Frank Everitt, president of USW local 1-424.

 

“The APT project is serving the vital purpose of helping forest workers expand their skills to meet the needs of a changing marketplace,” said Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell. “This will help position B.C. for the shift in the forest sector we’re expecting as new markets emerge.”

 

“In these challenging times we are diversifying our economy and we need to provide workers with the skills they need to expand their employment opportunities and support our resource industries,” said Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond. “The Assessing Planning Training program has been a successful partnership that is helping forestry workers to adapt to an evolving resource-based sector.”

 

In addition to APT, there are a number of initiatives and programs in place to assist displaced forest workers, including Tuition Assistance, Transitional Assistance and the Job Opportunities Program delivered through the B.C. Ministry of Community and Rural Development.